625 - Reimagined
by whump-2-go
Summary: This is the third part of the trilogy beginning with Covert Op and Bad Intel. While this story can stand on its own, you may want to first read those two to understand how we interwove the time frame of this trilogy into episode 6.25. By Cokie316 and Sym64.


Summary: This is the third part of the trilogy beginning with Covert Op and Bad Intel. While this story can stand on its own, you may want to first read those two to understand how we interwove the time frame of this trilogy into episode 6.25.

So let's go back in time to May 2016 and reimagine how 6.25 could have played out… if WE had a say in it. The story itself is our take on what could have happened as opposed to what we saw on TV. Our commentary of the scenes might be a tad bit on the sarcastic side…

We hope you will enjoy this. …Cokie and Sam

* * *

 _ **6.25 Reimagined  
by Cokie and Sam**_

 _ **Scene: Airplane traveling a cache of drugs to Oahu with three people on board. The gravely wounded pilot, aka Lt. Commander Steve McGarrett, his second in command, Danny Williams who is now tasked with flying the plane and Daiwan, who is making the drug drop. This was a drug deal gone bad, leaving our two undercover officers in very dire circumstances.**_

"Shoot him, Danno. Just shoot him."

Steve wasn't sure if his partner had even heard him. He also wasn't sure if he had actually said those words or if they were only in his head.

The pain that had exploded in his body when his arm had been so violently moved was still raging through his abdomen. Although the agony was now down to really bad pain; not a good sign as Steve had realized. He knew he was mortally wounded.

For a second Steve wondered if his friend had shot WhatsHisName, but then all went to black. Steve's last thought was that at least he wasn't in pain anymore.

 _ **H50 – H50 – H50**_

"I'm gonna die, Danny."

This time he knew he had spoken the words. And he was sure that he had spoken the truth. The pain was gone, replaced by a bone deep tiredness. He struggled to open his eyes, to follow the conversation, but he knew that was way beyond his capability.

"No, you're not." Steve heard the words, spoken with conviction, but knew that was not going to happen. _Sorry, buddy_.

Steve could feel the life-force leaving his body, and he wasn't far off with that feeling. Blood was still free flowing, gathering on the floor of the plane, ribbons of red trailing in the dust beneath his feet. His heart was racing, trying to make up for the blood loss. Trying to pump more blood to the dying organs. Soon there wouldn't be any blood to pump. He came to the realization that he would die in this fucking plane.

But he was calm about it. His worry was for his friend who had no idea how to land the aircraft. _I'm really sorry, buddy_ , was Steve's last thought before he again slipped into unconsciousness.

 _ **H50 – H50 – H50**_

"I'm cold."

Steve again wasn't sure if he uttered the words or not. But he knew that he was cold. Chilled to the bone. And he knew it wouldn't be long now. He wasn't even able to open his eyes; they were glued shut. He felt so heavy, like he weighed a ton. And he was so darn cold. Colder than he had ever been in his life.

He had been shot before. Had been seriously injured before, but he knew this was different. This was it. Steve was sure of that fact. He knew that his body was shutting down.

"I'm cold" was all that was on his mind now. The chill was all consuming. He wasn't able to form any other coherent thought.

"Ditch the plane." The words drifted to his ear.

 _Yeah, Danny, ditch it. You can do that. Wait… What? What is he supposed to ditch?_ Steve was too dazed to realize that Danny had been told to ditch the plane in the ocean.

"I can't do that… he will drown."

 _Who will drown? Danny, listen to them_. _Why the fuck is he arguing with them? Who is he arguing with anyway?_

Steve knew he was losing time between these snippets he heard. He was floating; drifting in and out of consciousness. More out than in, Steve would have said if he had any energy left.

 _ **H50 – H50 – H50**_

 _ **Arrrrggggghhhhhh.**_

That would have been his scream if he had the breath for it. He heard yelling and someone was shaking him.

 _Fucking stop it!_ He was sure whoever was shaking him was trying to kill him. _I'm dying already, you idiot! Let go._

He couldn't understand what that person was yelling, and at this point he really didn't care. Nothing made any sense. The pain was back, but not really. He felt like he wasn't really in his body. But yet, he kinda was. He wasn't even sure if any of what he was hearing was actually happening.

Suddenly the plane dipped low and his head lolled to the side. Unable to move it back, he finally gave in to the beckoning darkness that had been looming over him since the bullets had ripped through his body.

 _ **H50 – H50 – H50**_

 _ **Scene: Tripler Hospital Surgery Suite.**_

 _ **Our gravely wounded Commander McGarrett is wheeled into surgery and quickly prepped by surgical assistants. He had been previously intubated and a competent anesthesiologist remained at the head of the table overseeing his care. The concerned look on his face was due to the immediate fragileness of his patient.**_

 _ **Steve had been prepped and his wounds had been cleansed with an antiseptic solution which tinged his skin orange. The two holes in his arm had been quickly bandaged for repair after the urgent laparoscopy and the nicked artery in his leg had been clamped for later repair.**_

 _ **Please note that nowhere in this scene is there a doctor playing with our patient's jiggly jelly belly. Because that's just silly…**_

"Isaac, you gotta get this guy opened up soon," Dr. Avery, the anesthesiologist told the surgeon. "He's quickly tanking."

"We're ready," Dr. Isaac Cornett replied, moving closer to the table. He lifted the gauze pads that hid the jagged entry wound and shook his head. "Let's see what we've got in here." With a glance around the table, he ensured everyone was in place and ready to work before he made his initial incision.

He quickly had his patient open and suctioned so that he could see what was going on. "Aw, damn," he muttered, staring at the ragged injuries inside the wound.

A high pitched squeal penetrated the room and Dr. Avery calmly stated, "We're losing him."

 _ **H50 – H50 – H50**_

 _ **Scene: A drug factory near the docks**_

Danny stared down the wounded leader of the drug cartel, wanting to put another bullet between the man's eyes. That's what _**he**_ wanted to do. But he knew that Steve would not want that; would expect the man to stand trial.

And in the end, Danny conceded and did exactly what Steve would have done had their roles been reversed. He left the man bleeding on the hot tarmac and turned back toward his team after all the shooting was over.

His ringing phone interrupted them and he felt his stomach plummet when he realized it was the hospital calling.

"Hello"….. He listened, the look on his face showing his fear.

"What is it?" Chin asked, Danny's worry mirrored in his own features.

"It's Steve, come on," Danny replied, heading for the cars, still holding his hand tightly over his broken ribs. They left SWAT and HPD to clean up the mess at the airstrip and headed back to the hospital.

 _ **H50 – H50 – H50**_

 _ **Scene: Tripler Hospital Emergency Entrance**_

The group anxiously walked into the ER of Tripler and were quickly met by Dr. Isaac Cornett.

"How's Steve?" Danny asked as they all noticed the look of dread and hesitation on the doctor's face.

"I'm afraid it is not good news. The commander is in very critical condition," he admitted, looking at each of Steve's friends. "His arm was a through and through and was quickly cleaned up. His leg," he paused, shaking his head at the memory, "Well, he lost a lot of blood from both that and his stomach injury. We stopped the bleeder in his thigh and hopefully that will be all right."

"How about the stomach wound?" Grover asked.

"That is the problem," Dr. Cornett replied with a tired sigh. "Let's sit down, shall we?" he asked, wishing he could put off the conversation he was about to have.

"What is it?" Danny asked again.

The doctor again looked at each of them in turn. "We performed emergency exploratory surgery in an attempt to stop the bleeding and to see what we were dealing with. We learned that the commander's liver was severely fragmented by the bullet and we will have to painstakingly remove pieces of it. Unfortunately, he coded on the table and after we got him back the anesthesiologist urged us to close him. "

"Is it wise to wait?" Chin asked.

Cornett shook his head. "Not really, but given the options, it was the only choice we had. I'm sorry, but in his current condition, he wouldn't survive. We are trying to replenish Commander McGarrett's blood loss so that he can tolerate the surgery. In essence," he paused again, needing his words to sink in for them. "That means we're trying to keep him alive long enough to give him a chance. But right now, his condition is grave… and things could change from one minute to the next."

"But if he can survive surgery, he has a chance?" Kono asked.

"We can cross that hurdle at a later time but the concern is that there isn't enough good liver left to regenerate."

"So, what does that mean?" Kono asked.

"Bottom line, if the liver fails, the commander will need a liver transplant."

"What?" Danny asked. "How soon will you know?"

"He will show signs of liver failure very quickly if there isn't enough left to perform its task. But we aren't there yet." The doctor hesitated once again and then laid all his cards on the table. "The next few hours are critical. I need to warn you he may not survive the night… with or without the surgery. The only good news I can give you is that he is breathing on his own; he is not on ventilation. That is a good sign."

"What can _**we**_ do?" Chin asked.

Cornett shook his head. "We need blood. In particular AB for the commander, but we can use all types."

"Consider it done," Grover said, reaching for his phone. "We'll have donors lined up out the door."

"Thank you. Other than that, you need to wait patiently. We don't know what the night will bring."

"Can we see him?" Danny asked.

"No, I'm afraid not," he replied. "He is in post-op and has a full staff attending to him at the moment. No visitors are allowed back there."

"But—" Danny started to argue when he blanched and grabbed his side once again. "Ah—"

"And you, detective, need to finally be seen in the ER." The doctor motioned for an orderly. "The nurses said you ran out earlier before they could stop you, but you need x-rays."

"I'm OK," Danny assured him. "You just worry about Steve."

"Danny," Chin began. "Go with the orderly. You need to get checked out."

"All right," he conceded, his breathing getting harder. "But you keep me posted."

"Of course we will," Kono assured him. "Go," she whispered with a smile.

 _ **H50 – H50 – H50**_

 _ **Scene: Post Op Recovery Room.**_

 _ **Imagine that Commander McGarrett is surrounded with the latest in life-saving equipment in an ultra-modern cubicle. He is being carefully watched by a Post-0p nurse and also a nurse practitioner.**_

 _ **Would anyone really put our fearless leader in a storage room with cabinets of alcohol and peroxide? And perhaps a mop or broom or two? We shudder at the thought!**_

Sound slowly came back, pulling him to the surface along with it. His body felt leaden, weighted down, yet on the other hand, he was detached from it all. Steve didn't really know where he was, but on the other hand, he really didn't care. Time was elusive and unimportant.

There was a hissing sound along with slow, steady beeps that penetrated his mind and began to annoy him. He didn't know why, but he really wished they would stop.

Other sounds began to invade his consciousness, voices humming just over him. The words had no meaning but that didn't bother him. Listening was work and work took effort. Effort and initiative was something he just didn't have.

So, instead, he floated. Time waivered.

He slowly blinked out.

 _ **H50 – H50 – H50**_

"Cassie, what do we have?" Nurse Olivia Ipo asked upon entering the recovery cubicle.

"Hey, Livvy. Our patient tonight is Commander McGarrett from the governor's task force. GSW to the left thigh, left arm and abdomen. Major liver damage. And after all that, he managed to survive a plane crash."

"Must be a fighter then. How's he doing?"

Cassie Sullivan shook her head and glanced at the monitors near the bed. "Surgery was touch and go. Lost a lot of blood, but he's beginning to 'pink up' a bit. Dr. Cornett has ordered another couple of units on standby and from the look of his stats, we're going to need them. If they can keep his pressure up for a few hours, they need to head back to surgery for repair."

"I wouldn't say this if he was awake," Livvy whispered, "but I've seen him on TV. He sure is a cutie. I've hoped to run into him sometime but certainly not like this."

"No, no one deserves this," Cassie agreed. "Especially one of the good guys."

 _ **H50 – H50 – H50**_

 _GSW… crash… blood… cutie… good guys…_

Steve found that he could hear words that filtered through his sluggish brain but he still couldn't connect the dots. The hissing and beeping were back and now along with the annoying noise there was a dull, deep ache throughout his body. The detached and floaty feeling was disappearing and he realized that he hurt.

Everything hurt, and not just like the ache he felt before. This was _**pain**_. All-consuming pain, and he couldn't keep in the groan any longer.

"Cassie, I think he's waking up. Go get the doctor," Corporal Ipo told her colleague. "Commander, can you hear me? Just relax, I will help you with the pain in a second."

"Noghggh," Steve tried to speak, but realized that only gibberish was going past the oxygen mask that was firmly pressed over his nose and mouth. "Ugh."

He finally managed to open his eyes and looked into the greenest eyes he had ever seen. When the nurse smiled at him he again tried to speak, but only managed another grunt of pain. He squeezed his eyes shut, keeping the tears of pain and desperation at bay.

He needed to focus, he needed to ask them one question. _Please, just give me the strength for one question,_ Steve thought and again forced his eyes open.

Steve realized that he had obviously taken longer for that feat than he thought; a doctor was now standing next to his bed, and the oxygen mask was off. He knew him, remembering him from prior treatments, and he had treated Danny when he had been stabbed. Danny!

"Commander, don't fight, I will give you something for the pain and you will go back to sleep," Cornett said and turned to his nurse.

"NO!" Steve wasn't sure who was more surprised by his loud voice and the strong grip with which he grabbed Cornett's arm. "Don't," Steve grunted out.

"OK, but you have to calm down, Commander."

Steve closed his eyes again for a moment to get his breathing under control and to push down on the pain. For a second he wondered why they had allowed him to wake up in the first place; but he was immensely grateful that he was awake now. More or less.

"Anyone else hurt?" Was the question he desperately needed an answer to after remembering the crash. "Danny? People… on ground?"

"Your partner will be fine, and no, no one was injured by the crash."

The injured man sighed in relief; Danny had made it.

Steve knew that he was still dying, no matter that he was awake right now. He had known the second the bullet had entered him. But knowing that he was the only casualty gave him an odd sense of calm.

"I'm dying," Steve didn't bother voicing it as a question.

"Not if I have a say in it."

"Bullshit," Steve groaned when another wave of pain washed over him. This time he became aware that his left leg seemed to be engulfed in flames. He wasn't sure what hurt worse, the stabbing pain all over his upper body, or his burning leg. "What's the damage?"

Steve tried to listen to the list of injuries, and what they had done so far. Bottom line; he _**was**_ dying.

"I wanna say good-bye," Steve whispered, hoping to be able to stay awake long enough to see his friends one more time.

"What?"

Steve took as deep of a breath as he was able. "Dr. Cornett, I want to see my friends. Please," Steve pleaded his case. He knew that it was against protocol to let anyone into the recovery ward. But he hoped the wish of a dying man counted more than regulations.

Cornett shook his head. "Commander, that isn't wise. We need—"

"Doc. Please."

The doctor looked at his persistent patient and changed his mind, slowly nodding. "OK, but each only for a minute, and only if you let me give you something for the pain."

Cornett's answer showed Steve that this was really it. "Don't knock me out."

"I won't. I promise."

"Who's out there?" Steve asked and again closed his eyes when the felt the drugs entering his system.

"You mean in the waiting room? You better ask who isn't. There are a lot of people rooting for you, Commander. So, you better work with me here, and don't die. You hear me?"

Steve didn't bother opening his eyes, but smiled. The drugs were doing a great job chasing the grimace of pain away that had graced his features since he had woken up. He realized that Cornett must have given him more than just pain meds. "What' you give me?"

"Something that will allow you a chance to talk to your friends, against my better judgment I might add," Cornett answered with a sad note in his voice. "You have about ten minutes, and then we have to take you back to surgery. I'll get your friends."

Steve only nodded and knew that this would be the last ten minutes of his life.

 _ **H50 – H50 – H50**_

 _ **Tripler Hospital Surgical Waiting Room**_

It was long past regular surgery hours, so the room was filled with the 5-0 task force and their friends. Word of the plane crash had quickly spread throughout the island and as co-workers and friends learned that Steve and Danny had both been involved, they had begun to filter in. The room was at near capacity with members of HPD, business associates and personal acquaintances. Some were seated, quiet in their thoughts, others lounged against the wall while even more worriedly paced the area.

The night was black outside the window. Rain had begun to fall and the mood was melancholy, both inside and out.

Everyone looked toward the double doors and watched as Dr. Cornett hurried out, searching for a familiar face in the sea of friends.

Chin quickly stood from where he had been lounging in his seat and Grover pushed away from the wall to join him.

"Doc?" Chin breathed the word, fearing the worst.

"Gentlemen," Cornett spoke quietly. "McGarrett is awake."

"What?" Lou called out.

"This was not planned, but he fought his way to consciousness," the doctor explained. "We need to get him back to surgery in the next fifteen minutes. But the commander asked to see his friends."

"What?" Chin now asked confused about where this was going.

The doctor glanced around the room before focusing on Chin and Lou. "He knows how grave his condition is and he asked to talk to you before we go back in. He doesn't have much time. Pick five people; I'll give each of you one minute. I'm sorry, that is more than I should allow. But…"

"He's dying, isn't he?" Grover asked in a soft voice.

Cornett only nodded. "Take your friends and follow me."

"Danny! What about Danny?" Chin suddenly realized that they couldn't get Danny.

"I'm sorry, but after the collapsed lung he can't go anywhere."

"He will be devastated," Grover commented.

"Let's go, Captain. Time is of the essence," Cornett urged them on. "The commander's pressure and vitals are up slightly but overall his condition is deteriorating. I feel if we don't act quickly, we will lose any window of time to repair his injury. Let's not sabotage his chances."

The doctor glanced at the sea of anxious faces and realized how many friends were waiting for a miracle. "Who do you…?"

"Chin?" Lou looked just as desperate and shocked as his friend. "Who…?"

"You, me, Kono, Nahele and Duke."

"I'll go last, let the boy go first," Grover agreed. Turning around, he motioned for Nahele. "Hey, son, come with me."

 _ **H50 – H50 – H50**_

A noise roused Steve and he opened his eyes to find one of the nurses drawing shut the curtains surrounding his bed. Curtains wouldn't give him much privacy but it was better than nothing for when his friends came. Keeping his gritty eyes open was becoming more and more difficult and he hoped he could stay awake for this.

Steve wasn't quite sure what to actually tell them, but he wanted… needed to see them before… well, before it was too late. Steve opened his eyes when he heard movement in his cubicle. He hadn't even realized he had closed them. He felt tired and worn out, but he wasn't in much pain.

"Nahele," Steve whispered and tried to encouragingly smile at the young man who stood at the end of the bed. Steve could see that he had been crying. "Hey, buddy, come here."

"Steve, I," he choked out.

"It's OK. It's gonna be fine," Steve assured him. "Listen to me. You're a good kid, and you'll be a good man. You hear me?"

Smiling when he saw Nahele nod, he continued. "Listen to Grover, OK? You can trust him like you trust me. He's a good friend."

" 'kay. But you will be OK, right?"

"I'll do my best. Come here," Steve motioned his protégé closer, not knowing what else to say. "I believe in you," he whispered when Nahele bent down for a gentle hug.

"I better go," the young man said, clearly uncomfortable and overwhelmed.

"OK. Nahele?"

"Yeah?" The young man turned and obviously didn't care that tears rolled down his cheeks.

"You will be OK. Promise me."

Nahele slowly nodded, even smiled for a second. "I promise."

Steve watched him leave and trusted that his friends would take good care of this young man. Already exhausted he closed his eyes, waiting for his next visitor.

"Commander?"

Steve was surprised to hear his doctor addressing him. "Hmm?"

"You need to slow down, commander. Let them do the talking, or your next visitor will be the last. You hear me?"

"OK. And thanks," Steve added. He was well aware that Cornett could have said no.

"Sergeant Lukela, you can come in now."

Steve watched Duke come forward and had to smile. He hadn't expected to see his Dad's old friend, but was very glad that he could have a word with him. "Duke."

"Steve, you have us worried there, son."

"Thank you for coming," Steve said with a low voice, remembering Cornett's word to pace himself.

"I… Steve, you have to fight, you hear me. I know you are tired and in pain. But this is not your time. Fight this."

"I will."

"Your dad would be so proud of you. You are an honorable man, and a good friend. He loved you very much, you know. You dad always spoke with pride and love about you. I want you to know that."

Steve was speechless hearing this from his older friend. He knew his dad had loved him, but hearing the words spoken made it seem more real.

"Thank you, Duke. For everything."

"I'll see you later, OK?"

"OK," Steve whispered, not believing it but thankful for Duke's faith in him. He watched him leave and wondered who would be next.

It only took seconds for Kono to appear, which made Steve smile. "Hey, Rookie."

"You haven't called me that in a long time, if ever," Kono answered, putting on a brave face.

Steve squeezed her hand when she took his right one in her way smaller one. "Kono."

"No, let me first. Please."

"OK."

"Thank you," Kono began, with a glance toward Dr. Cornett. She bit her lip and squeezed harder on his hand. "Thank you for trusting me, for teaching me, for being the best boss anyone can ever wish for. But most of all, thank you for being my friend."

Steve swallowed and wasn't sure what to say, but he didn't need to say anything. Kono bent down and gently hugged him, kissing his forehead. "I love you, boss."

"I…" Steve started, but was interrupted by Kono.

"I know," she whispered and almost angrily swiped a tear from her cheek. "Promise me you won't give up, OK?"

"I'll never stop fighting. You know that," Steve said and fixed her with his most sincere smile.

"Good, just so we're clear," Kono replied, gave him a smile and turned without another word and left.

"Yes, ma'am," Steve whispered under his breath, but kept smiling.

"Commander, how are you holding up?" Cornett again stepped closer and looked at the monitors behind Steve's bed.

"Feel like crap," Steve mumbled.

"We should cut this…"

"NO. No, I need to… talk to… Danny."

"I'm sorry, but that has to wait. He is getting treated at the moment."

"What? You said… he was OK," Steve answered and got agitated which wasn't a good idea.

"Slow down," the doctor once again admonished, placing his hand on Steve's shoulder. "He will be fine. But he can't come here right now."

Steve looked at his doctor, trying to see if he was telling the truth or not.

"He will be fine. You can trust me, Commander."

"OK," Steve said and again closed his eyes. The pain was coming back, and he wasn't sure how much more he could take.

"Lieutenant," Steve heard his doctor calling and opened his eyes to see Chin walk through the curtain.

Chin paused at the bedside and reached out his hand, snaring Steve's in his, their hands interlocking.

"Wasn't my fault," Steve said, one side of his mouth quirking up.

The lieutenant chuckled and squeezed his friend's hand. "Yeah, I know that. But I must say, you guys made a spectacular landing. Even CNN picked up the newsfeed. That's pretty impressive."

"Yeah, crazy, huh?"

"Crazy in a good way. Steve," he hesitated, planning his words, "I know what you're doing, but I'm not saying goodbye. No way in hell."

"Chin, you're a good friend. And a great cop."

"Thanks to you. You gave me my life back. Made me proud of who and what I was, so for that, I thank you. But don't—"

Steve sucked in a shaky breath causing concern for both Chin and the doctor.

"Commander?"

"S'ok," he grunted. "Where's Lou?"

"He's outside. I'll get him for you. And I'll talk to you after surgery, got that?"

"Chin, tell Danny… tell him and Grace…"

"Don't worry, Brah. Malama pono." With one final squeeze of his friend's hand, Chin cut a glance to the doctor who was worriedly watching the monitors. "Thanks, Doc."

Cornett nodded then glanced at Steve who appeared to have fallen asleep. "Send in the captain so I can get this man to surgery. He's too stubborn for his own good." With a final glance at Chin, he lifted the sheet to check his patient's wounds.

Lou Grover stood on the outside of the drawn curtains and peered into the room. _This is just wrong,_ he thought after getting his initial look at his friend. The man was pasty white with a sheen of sweat on his face and only covered with a thin sheet to his chest. The doctor had pushed the sheet aside and was checking a bandage tinged with blood. What skin he could see was mottled with blue and purple bruises that Lou knew would be more vivid in color in a few hours. And more painful. Steve's eyes were closed and Lou could see the pain and exhaustion on his features. This just… it couldn't end this way. The man had way too much to do with his life. Grover knew he had little time so he swallowed down his worry and walked into the cubicle.

"Hey, he still awake?"

Cornett quickly replaced the sheet and glanced at his patient. "Commander?"

Steve opened his eyes to half-mast and blinked at the doctor. He must have zoned out for a minute without realizing it. Looking behind Cornett, he saw Lou's concerned face.

"Hey."

"Hey, yourself," Grover said, exchanging places with Cornett. "Bad day at the office?"

Steve offered him a weak smile. "Somethin' like that. Lou…" He grimaced and closed his eyes, working through the pain.

"Commander, we need to go," the doctor said.

"No, I need… two things, Lou."

"We can talk later, Steve. Let the doctor—"

Steve huffed out a weak laugh. "Please."

Grover nodded. "OK, two things. I'm listenin' my friend."

"Watch out for Nahele. He's a good kid. Just… he needs to know he's got… someone in his corner."

"Of course," Lou assured him. "Not a problem, but he wants _**you**_ to do that stuff."

"Yeah, well…" Steve's voice trailed off and he fought once again to remain conscious.

"So what's number two?"

"Need to thank you," Steve continued. "For Cath. At the airport. For letting me…" His voice wavered before he added, "let me see her."

Lou shrugged. "Hey, man, you two needed someone to knock your heads together. Glad I was there."

One of the beeps on the monitor beside the bed began to double its frequency and Cornett quickly opened the flow of one of the IVs, watching the monitor for signs the fluid was aiding his patient.

"Captain, we need to cut this off now. Corporal, get an orderly in here stat," he called to the nurse.

Grover lightly squeezed Steve's shoulder. "This ain't over, my man. We're gonna talk again, you hear me? Now hang in there and let the Doc do his thing."

Steve tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come so he gave his friend a weak nod. There was so much more he wanted to say but the doctor and nurse were talking to each other and the bed was wheeled away from the wall, the movement disorienting him. He couldn't control the tears that filled his eyes and threatened to spill onto his cheeks.

"Hey," Cassie leaned over him and whispered. "You remember to keep fighting. You've got an entire waiting room on your side." She glanced at the mobile unit and added, "Let's move it, Roger. BP is beginning to drop."

Grover stood just outside the curtain and watched the bed as it was wheeled away down the hallway toward the OR. Sometimes life just sucked. He turned and walked through the double doors of the recovery unit and saw that the others had waited for him. Kono's eyes were red from tears. Chin had his hand on her shoulder as he talked quietly to Duke. Nahele was leaning against the wall, his eyes closed. Upon seeing him, they all turned his direction.

Lou sighed. "They just took him back. Heard the nurse say something about his BP dropping. Damn, he just can't get a break."

"Yeah, I know," Chin said. "And now we need to go tell everyone else," he added, vaguely pointing toward the waiting room.

"I can do that if you want," Duke offered.

Chin shook his head and slapped the older man on the back. "Thanks, but how about we do it together?"

"I'll be back in a few," Lou told them. "Need to make a couple of phone calls."

Chin nodded and rubbed his hand over his face. "Yeah, when you get back, I probably need to do the same."

Lou nodded at his friend and headed down the hallway toward the ER. He found a quiet nook in the corner and scrolled through his phone, hoping that the call would go through.

" _Rollins."_

"Cath, it's Lou. We need to talk."

 _ **H50 – H50 – H50**_

 **Surgical waiting room**

The grayness of night began fading as the sun rose from its watery bath. Droplets of water that had clung to the trees began to disappear in the early morning light.

And yet, no one had moved from the room where they had waited throughout the long night. Twice a nurse had come out, each time telling them that Steve was "holding his own".

What they heard was "he's still alive."

And for the present, that was all they could ask for.

In the near silent room, people's thoughts were turned toward the man whose life was hanging by a thread. Ironically, he was the one person that had woven all of their lives together. In the quietness, occasional voices were whispered; words of encouragement to a friend.

 **Duke** sat against the wall, staring into space. He could vividly recall the young "Stevie" who was so full of energy and had a voracious quest for learning. To say that John McGarrett had been proud of his only son was an understatement. John always had a story he wanted to share about Steve's latest escapades and Duke remembered the smiles on John's face when he talked about the boy. Steve hadn't been afraid to try anything.

Duke smiled. That part hadn't changed… Steve could quickly assess what needed to be done in any situation – no matter how tense it was. And then he would make sure it was carried out. Most times in doing so, he ended up saving lives. He knew that John would still be proud of his son.

Duke's smile faded. He was glad that he had been able to talk to Steve, now he only hoped he could see his friend back in action very soon.

 **Nahele** paced the floor, feeling lost. He wasn't working a shift today, and when he got the call from Kamekona he assumed he was being called to work. He had seen pictures about the plane that had crashed on the beach but was shocked to learn that Steve had been in it. And that he had been shot. Nahele knew there wasn't anything he could do, but he knew he _**had**_ to get to the hospital. All of this was his fault. He had gone to Steve after he found his friend at school. Steve had made the promise to _**him**_ that he would get these guys. And now, Steve was fighting for his life. It wasn't fair.

Nahele knew that without Steve's belief in him, he would probably be in Halawa by now. Or dead. He had been on a bad one way trip when Steve stopped him and turned him around. And then after his dad had died, Steve had been there for him again. Nahele didn't know what he would have done without him.

He couldn't imagine his life without his friend. And he wasn't ashamed that another silent tear traveled down his cheek as he dropped into a chair against the wall.

Duke turned toward the young man, seeing the fear and grief on his face. He leaned closer to the chair, placed his hand on the young man's arm and spoke in a low voice. "You know, Steve thinks the world of you. I think from the very moment you two met there in his office."

Nahele sniffed and nodded his head, wiping the back of his hand across his face. "Yeah. He's… I wouldn't be here without him. But this is all my—"

Duke quickly cut him off. "No, this isn't your fault. Steve was doing his job and things went sideways. He would never forgive himself if he thought you were blaming yourself."

"But—"

Duke shook the boy's arm. "No 'buts', Nahele. Don't go there."

"OK," he nodded. "Yeah."

"Good." Duke sat back in his chair and continued his musing.

 **Kamekona** sat along the side wall near his cousin, Flippa. He thought back to the day over six years ago when Chin had brought McGarrett and Williams to his shave ice stand. They had been looking for a lead in their case and he had decided to help out the Haoles. He grinned to himself, remembering. He had given them the tip, but not before making the two unsuspecting officers of the law pay for not only shave ice, but also for two Size XXXL tee shirts to promote his business.

And a partnership, no, make that a friendship, had been born. He knew he was a better person when Steve McGarrett was around. He turned toward his cousin. "Did I ever tell you how I met the big guy?"

"By making him wear a big shirt with your picture on it, Cuz? Yeah, I woulda loved to see that."

"Funny thing, he did it without arguing. I mean, he didn't have to do it, you know? I was just messin' with him, but that's who he is. He'll do anything… no matter what it takes, to get the job done."

 **Max** sat nervously in his chair, staring at his hands. He thought back to the early days when he had been so frightened of Steve McGarrett that he would get tongue-tied while trying to speak to the man. Max had been in awe of him. And truth be told, he still was. Steve was larger than life and Max loved to hear each and every escapade that Five-0 was involved in.

But the hero worship turned into a friendship the day Max had come home to find that his house had been broken into… by none other than McGarrett who had needed medical help. And he had come to Max for that help. A trusting friendship was formed that day.

While Max was still excited about his "sabbatical" for the next few months, he could not… _would_ not consider the possibility that Steve McGarrett would not be there upon his return.

Steve was one of the good guys… he had to be all right.

 **Kono's** thoughts revolved around the day she had met Steve and Danny. How young and naïve she had been. But Steve had believed in her and his confidence in her abilities helped make her who she was today. He was ohana. And she was grateful that she had had the chance to let him know how much he and his support had meant to her.

Why do people never share their feelings until it is sometimes too late?

 **Chin** leaned back in his uncomfortable chair, staring at the ceiling. He had glanced around the room, taking in the looks on all the somber faces, knowing that each person had a backstory that they shared with Steve.

He was no different. Steve had pulled him from a dead-end job and gave him hope of a life he had lost. Steve had refused to take no for his answer and by doing so, opened so many doors for him. When he had lost his job, he had given up on any career. One afternoon with Steve McGarrett had changed everything. Steve had been the friend who had always been there for him. Chin knew he would deeply miss the strong, silent presence that was his friend. Life and work would not be the same without him.

 **Grover** walked the hallway by the waiting room. He had returned Renee's phone call that she had placed after seeing the news. All Lou could think of was how his friend had looked when they had reached the plane and he had removed the door. Danny had said Steve was still alive, but Lou had had his doubts. How could anyone still be alive with all that blood on the seat and the floor?

He sighed and leaned against the wall, knowing he needed to get a grip. When he had first met McGarrett, he knew there was no way he could ever work with the man. Ever. Now, after being a member of the task force, working day to day with Steve McGarrett, he knew how wrong he had been. He was at his personal best while working with this group. And he owed it all to Steve Get-you're-ass-in-gear-McGarrett.

Lou shook his head. Who would have ever thought he would be best friends with that man? "Never in a million years," he mumbled to himself. He glanced around and spied a drink machine down the hall. Damn, but he needed a cup of coffee. With coffee in hand he entered the waiting room to spend the rest of the night waiting with his friends.

A weary Dr. Cornett entered the room shortly past daylight. He stood before them, realizing that, if anything, there were more people present now than there were the last time he spoke with them. Several people had immediately stood when he entered and he read concern on each face mingled with the weariness of a restless night. He also knew that feeling.

He sighed and offered a wan smile. "The commander made it through surgery."

The relief on their faces made his job worthwhile. He held up his hand to rein them in. "His condition is still extremely critical, but he appears to be fighting."

"Damn right he's fighting," Lou commented. "Ain't nobody gonna fight more than him."

"Trust me, that's a good thing," the doctor said.

"How about his liver?" Chin asked.

Cornett shook his head and cautiously replied, "We hopefully managed to save enough of it. With any luck, it will regenerate and continue to function. The next few days will be very critical as we monitor it."

"Can we see him?" Kono asked.

"Not just yet," he replied. "Again, we are keeping him in post-op for a few hours where he will have constant supervision. He is still receiving transfusions and we want him in a sterile atmosphere. At present, any germ could be deadly."

He looked around the room at the relieved faces. "I know you're tired. My suggestion is that you go home and get some rest. The commander is in good hands. If anything changes, we can let you know."

Chin glanced at everyone behind him. "Some of us will wait here, if you don't mind. We want to be nearby."

"You know he's heavily sedated," Dr. Cornett told them. "He won't know that you're here."

"But we know," Kono softly replied. "I'm going to go give Danny and Grace the news."

 _ **Tripler Army Medical Center  
ICU, many hours later**_

"He needs suction," Livvy remarked while reaching for the long tube and attaching it to the suction line on the wall behind the bed. She carefully slid the line into her patient's mouth next to the breathing tube and touched the back of his throat before applying the suction. She was surprised when Steve jerked his head, clearly not liking what she had done.

"Oh! He didn't like that," she exclaimed while removing the tube. "Cass, he's got a gag reflex like he might be waking up."

"Surely not," the other nurse replied. "He just got a heavy dose of pain meds an hour ago." Cassie said, glancing at the clock. She reached for his hand and held it in hers, placing her other hand on his forehead.

"Commander, are you awake? Can you hear me? If you can, squeeze my hand."

She waited and shook her head. "Maybe it was just—" Both nurses watched as Steve's thumb slowly depressed against her hand.

"Commander, just relax. You need to sleep some more. We're going to give you something to help with that."

"Like you said, Livvy, this one's a fighter."

 _ **H50 – H50 – H50**_

He was choking and gagging before something was removed from his mouth. He wasn't awake enough to realize that he wasn't fully breathing on his own, but whatever was there, he didn't want it.

 _Commander? … squeeze my hand._

Steve tried to process the words and slowly understood the request. Squeeze. He could do that.

Or could he? He really tried. Squeezing should be easy. He could feel his hand being held in a softer one but no amount of effort could will his fingers to squeeze. Maybe if he just tried one of them instead of the entire hand. Slowly he felt a twitch of his thumb and he pressed downward.

Was that a squeeze? He didn't know, but he was tired. Whatever it was had worn him out.

 _Sleep… Help._

Sleep would be nice, he thought.

Time ceased.

 _ **H50 – H50 – H50**_

 **Honolulu International Airport  
2 days later**

Lou saw her when she came out the sliding glass doors of the airport, a bag over one shoulder and an exhausted, fearful look on her face.

"Catherine, over here," he called while pushing off his SUV. He met her half way and reached for the bag. "Long flight, huh?"

"Yeah. Lou, how is he?"

Grover placed her bag on the back seat then waited until she climbed in the passenger side before closing her door. He didn't speak until after he was in the driver's seat.

"Lou? Please."

Lou sighed and shook his head. "He's hanging in there, Cath. Doc says even that is a miracle."

"Does he know you called me?"

Grover hesitated before replying. He finally shook his head. "Catherine, Steve hasn't woken up since the last surgery. Doc says his liver isn't working properly yet and that is causing all of his other organs to have issues."

"But the doctor thinks it will start working, right?"

"We just don't know yet," he admitted, checking his mirrors and pulling out of the parking line.

Cath twisted her fingers together and sighed. "It will," she affirmed. "It has to."

They were silent, each in their own thoughts for much of the ride. The traffic had snarled and they were inching along before she spoke again. "You said on the phone that Steve was undercover and was piloting a plane? What happened?"

Lou glanced over at her and nodded. "Yeah, both Steve and Danny were undercover trying to stop a pretty bad drug ring. One of Nahele's friends was the latest victim and the poor kid found him dead in the school locker room and came to Steve. We got the normal pilot to turn on the head of the drug ring and Steve posed as a pilot with Danny as his mechanic. Which is a stretch, if you ask me. Williams ain't no grease monkey."

"Yeah," Cath grinned. "Unless we're talking about his hair."

Grover chuckled. "No comment. They had picked up the drugs and the drug runner and were coming back here. Danny said another plane appeared outta nowhere and all of a sudden, bullets were flying."

He grew silent and thought of the scene on the beach.

"So, Steve was hit? And he still landed the plane?" She smiled sadly. "Sounds just like something he would do."

"Uhm, not exactly," Lou said. "Danny told us that even after he was shot, Steve kept a tight grip on that yoke. Right up until he finally passed out." The vivid beach scene flashed again through Lou's mind. As it had done many times in the last few hours.

"Then what?"

"Danny took over."

Cath turned to stare at Lou. "Danny landed the plane?"

"Believe it or not," Grover replied while picking up speed when traffic began moving. "And I don't think he really can believe he did it. Air control told him to ditch the plane in the ocean but he refused because he knew he couldn't get Steve out of the plane. So, he put her down on the beach. And believe it or not, no one on land was hurt."

"How about Danny and the drug guy?"

"Danny has several broken ribs and a collapsed lung – he's in the hospital. Drug runner got banged up some but he was more upset at losing his product."

"So, Steve was shot in the stomach and then was in a plane crash?"

Grover again nodded. "He has a concussion and lots of bruising from the seatbelt. He, ah, also was hit in the arm and the thigh. Catherine, Steve lost a lot of blood. He's… it really is bad."

Catherine looked down at her fingers twisted together in her lap and whispered, "You're not lying to me about him being alive, are you?"

"No!" He quickly glanced at her while making a turn. "Hell, no, Cath, I wouldn't do that. He's bad; I already told you that, but Steve, well, you know he's a fighter. We aren't giving up on him. No way in hell."

"Good." She hesitated then added, "I know I don't always show it, but I can't imagine my life without Steve McGarrett in it."

"Join the club, Sister," he muttered before turning into the hospital parking lot. "Join the club."

 ** _H50 – H50 – H50_**

 **Tripler Army Medical Center  
ICU**

"Detective, you need to return to your room. Corporal Mills will take you there, and no more visits today," Dr. Cornett told Danny Williams.

"I've just got here."

"No, you have been here for almost fifteen minutes. And I'm pretty sure that your doctor did not approve this little trip down here."

"She… well, she didn't say I couldn't leave the ward," Williams defended his actions.

"Uh huh. Corporal, please take Mr. Williams back to his room," the captain motioned for the orderly to assist the injured detective.

"Why can she stay longer, but I can't?" Danny whined about what he thought was totally unfair.

"Because the lieutenant did not suffer broken ribs and a collapsed lung a few days ago. Now, you better go back to your room, or I will make sure that there will be no more visits at all. You got that?"

"Yes, Sir." Despite being a pain in the ass at times, and loudly complaining about pretty much everything, Danny did know when to shut up.

"Danny, I will call you as soon as something changes," Catherine Rollins spoke up for the first time.

"Thank you."

Catherine watched Danny leave, wondering if she could still call him a friend. He had barely talked to her. Calling his greeting reserved would be an understatement. She understood that he was mad, but after all was said and done, it was between Steve and her how their relationship would go. Danny had no right to judge her, that right only belonged to Steve when she told him the whole story.

But for that he needed to wake up first. Four days after his surgery and he was still not showing any signs of waking. He at least had started breathing on his own about twelve hours ago. When they had reduced the sedation his breathing had kicked in and they could wean him off the ventilation.

"Don't worry, Lieutenant, he'll wake up in his own time," Dr. Cornett interrupted her musings. "I have seen this many times. The commander is a fighter, he'll wake up soon."

"He has to. I don't know how much longer we can take this waiting," she added.

"I know it's tough. But the worst should be behind us," the surgeon assured her.

"You don't know Steve," she whispered. "He does most everything the hard way."

"Well, I know that most would not have survived his injuries. If that is doing it the hard way, then I'm all for it," Cornett replied with a smile on his face.

After checking his patient's bandages one last time, he left the cubicle and left Catherine alone with her severely injured friend.

 ** _H50 – H50 – H50_**

Huh, this is not what I expected, Steve thought when he saw clouds and a slightly pinkish/orange light. He floated… between the clouds… or under them? He wasn't sure. They kind of were all around him. And blurry, kinda blurry. No pain though, so, he must be dead, right?

No pain, floating, clouds. Steve sighed in his semi-sleep. Pretty sure he was dead.

What was that? Was there someone talking? Hey, that was Catherine's voice. He would know that voice anywhere. But wait, Catherine was not here. Can you dream when you're dead? Maybe.

Steve was confused. So, maybe not dead? Nah, can't be. He had said his good-byes and then the ungodly pain hit, and his doctor had said he was dying, and now he was, dead that is. Ugh. What was going on?

"Steve?"

There it was again. Catherine calling his name. No, no, she was not here. This is cruel. What kinda shitty afterlife was this? Torturing me even when I'm dead? Argh, fuck. Don't… move… again, was his last thought before he slipped back into oblivion.

"He had his eyes open, but I don't think he saw or recognized me. But I think he was in pain," Catherine told the nurse.

"He shouldn't be, he's on a pretty heavy cocktail," the charge nurse said. "are you sure he was awake? His vitals show otherwise."

"I… I think so, yeah."

"We'll keep an eye on it, and I will inform his doctor."

"Thank you."

 ** _H50 – H50 – H50_**

"Cath?" Steve wasn't sure if he said the name aloud since the person next to his bed didn't move. He wasn't even sure if someone sat next to his bed. Heck, he couldn't even say if he lay in an actual bed.

His body felt numb. Detached. He remembered the clouds from before, and sure enough they were still there. Now he was sure they were above him. Where they should be, Steve thought. But on the other hand, he was pretty sure he was in some sort of room, and why would he see clouds _**in**_ a room?

Waking up sure was confusing.

Steve turned his head to the side and looked into two beautiful brown eyes. Just like the voice, he would know these eyes anywhere.

"Hi, sailor, about time you woke up."

"Wha?" Steve blinked and when he opened his eyes again, she was still there. "Cath?"

"Who did you expect?" Cath asked with a smile.

"Uh…" Steve closed his eyes when his emotions threatened to overwhelm him. It seemed that he wasn't dead after all… and that Cath really was sitting next to his bed. That was more than he could handle.

"Steve? Hey, are you OK?"

He hated the scared tone in her voice, and knew he was the reason for her worry. "Sorry," he whispered.

"No, no, it's fine. _**You**_ will be fine."

Steve wasn't sure what to think. A minute ago he had come to terms with the realization that he was dead, and now he seemingly wasn't. And Catherine was here.

 _Catherine was here!_ With that thought his eyes popped open.

"Hey," Steve greeted his friend, slash lover, slash almost fiancé, slash most important person in his life. He tried to give her a smile which turned into a grimace when he moved his left leg again. "Ugh."

"Shhhh, don't try to move," Catherine said while she calmed him with a reassuring hand on his arm. "Your leg's hurt pretty bad, so try to lie still."

"You're here," Steve whispered with eyes tightly closed. He wasn't ready to have Cath see his tears. "You're really here?"

"I'm really here," she whispered.

And then it registered what she had said. "Wait, my leg?" He clearly remembered that he had been dying from a shot to his abdomen. Had that all been a dream?

"Well, that is what is probably hurting the most right now. The bullet did a lot of damage."

"Wah' damage?" Steve wanted to know, but it was hard to stay awake. He started to hurt all over and he was so darn tired.

"Go back to sleep, we'll talk in a bit," Cath replied and gently stroked his hair back.

"You stay?"

"I'll be here when you wake up."

"Good."

 ** _H50 – H50 – H50_**

Next time Steve woke up he was a bit clearer, and shook his head at his stupidity to think that Catherine had been back. "Stupid dream. Hate pain meds."

"What was that, Commander?" Dr. Cornett asked when he saw that his patient was awake.

"Nothing," Steve replied. "So, I take it I didn't die after all?"

"No, you dodged the bullet. Excuse the pun."

"Funny. Almost hilarious," Steve grumbled. He moved his leg and hissed when pain shot into his thigh. "What the heck's with my leg?"

"Take it easy, don't move. I just stitched you back together," Cornett scolded. "You had us all pretty worried, McGarrett. But I think you're on the mend. Your vitals are all good, or at least satisfactory. Your liver seems to be working well, and we think it will regenerate rather quickly. You, Commander, were incredibly lucky."

"Thank you. For everything. Guess you saved my life?"

"Well, it was a team effort, many people involved, you included."

Steve smiled for the first time since he was brought to the hospital. "So, what _**is**_ the damage?"

"Let's see; we have the obvious abdominal wound you already know about. You remember what I told you about it?"

"Yeah, I do," Steve replied, remembering the surgeon's words from… he didn't even know how many days ago.

"The shot to the arm didn't do much damage, well, your ink needs some repairs," Cornett continued. "The shot to the leg had us worried for a while. The bullet did some heavy tissue damage, the nerves are affected and the bullet grazed an artery. That bullet was as devastating as the one to the abdomen."

"Huh."

"You will need some intense therapy for your leg. But we think with time you should fully recover. As I said, incredibly lucky."

"Yeah, Lucky's my middle name," Steve sarcastically replied.

"We will keep you in ICU for another day or two before we'll settle you in a private room. You have any questions?"

"How is Danny?" Steve suddenly remembered something about his friend getting injured, too.

"He is doing very well; he will be released in the next couple of days. I'm sure he'll come by again later."

"He's been here?"

"A lot of people have been here and rooting for you, commander."

Steve watched his doctor check the monitors one last time before he left him alone again. He closed his eyes and tried to relax. The drugs he knew were given to him made his mind fuzzy, but at least they made him also pain free. Or almost so. But the pain in his heart would not be softened by any drugs. He had been so sure that Cath had been sitting next to his bed, but that must have been a dream. One that left him feeling her absence even more now.

"Steve? Are you awake?"

"Catherine?" He must have dozed off. Steve struggled to open his eyes, knowing he would only be disappointed again.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here, but Dr. Cornett asked me to step out while he checked you."

Steve glanced around the same room. Same clouds. Same bed. He screwed up his face in thought. "…wasn't a dream?"

"What? Oh, Steve, no, it was not a dream… I'm here."

And for the first time in long months his smile actually reached his eyes. Steve squeezed Catherine's hand and drifted off to sleep with a smile on his face.

 ** _H50 – H50 – H50_**

 _ **Tripler Army Medical Center**_

 _ **Room 625, three days later**_

"Unh!"

Catherine quickly set down her phone and reached over to cover Steve's hand, grounding him as he appeared to be waking up.

"Steve? Everything OK?"

"Mmm, yeah," he replied, opening his eyes and looking around the room. "Still not used to this room. Kinda missing the cloudy ceiling."

"But it's still better than ICU, right?" she asked, smiling at him.

"Yeah, way better," he agreed while trying to get into a more comfortable position, but giving up when that only increased the ache all over his body. "I just had the weirdest dream. Or nightmare."

Cath stood and moved to sit carefully on the side of the bed. "Tell me. Was it about the crash?"

One side of Steve's mouth quirked up in a grin. "Kind of, but not really. I was in surgery and I woke up when the doctor was messing with my belly. Which is totally weird, isn't it?" He shook his head, continuing, "But the doctor, I think it was Cornett, he had on a mask and everything so it was hard to tell, but he leaned over me and said, "Congratulations; you are the proud owner of half of your partner's liver." He pointed across the room and Danny was there, in the same operating room and he was waving at me. Then he started yelling, "And you better take good care of it, too. I've had it for 40 years and I want it to stay in pristine condition."

"That's kind of scary."

"Tell me about it," Steve shuddered. "I would have to thank him the rest of my life if that had happened." He glanced around the room, his eyes widening. "Where the hell did all those balloons come from?"

Catherine pointed to the swaying balloon "bouquet" in the corner of the room. "Those are from Grace and Charlie," Cath replied, reaching for the card that she had removed from the bundle. "And the ones on this side," she pointed across the bed, "are from all the women in the motor pool. I think they like you," she whispered as if sharing a secret.

Steve rolled his eyes and grinned.

"And you received a ton of cards. I guess they were holding everything until you were in a regular room."

"What time is it?" Steve asked.

"About 1500," she replied.

"People still gonna come by?"

"Yes, I told them around four and they promised to keep it short. Dr. Cornett would probably have a coronary if he knew you invited everyone you know."

"Chin and Lou said that they were all here through the night after the crash. I just want to say thanks and that's easier to do once than twenty times."

"True, but the nurses have already warned me that if they see you tiring or if any of these alarms go off that everyone will be kicked out."

"I'll be fine," Steve assured her. "Think they would let me out of bed for a few minutes? I need to use the head."

"I'll go get Adina. She said you are not to move without one of them with you."

"That's gonna get annoying really fast. I don't need an audience. And I can walk by myself. Well… sort of," he amended.

"I think it's a 'take it or leave' it situation, so you better not make waves, Sailor!"

 _ **H50 – H50 – H50**_

Adina looked inside the room which was packed with people. Before closing the door, she made eye contact with Steve who was sitting up in bed. "I'm watching you," she warned with a smile. "You guys try to keep it down, we have sick people on this floor."

Jerry and Kono were reading aloud from the stack of cards Steve had received, entertaining the others. It seemed everyone on the island wanted to wish him well with heartfelt thanks that he was improving. In addition to the group surrounding Steve's bed, in the last hour, more balloons had arrived along with fruit baskets and flower arrangements which created a swirl of moving color in the room. He didn't want to mention it, but Steve felt like he was on a rapidly moving merry-go-round with no off button. Closing his eyes sounded like a wonderful idea but he would tough it out. It was just a few more minutes…

"Hey, Chin, have you talked to Danny?" Steve asked.

"I have. He is at the doctor's right now and he plans to come here for a few minutes afterwards. Said he is going to rebel from his forced home incarceration. I think he and Grace are driving each other crazy."

"Glad he can come by. I know he visited before he left the hospital but I don't remember it."

"You were unconscious like _**for-ever**_ ," Lou added. "There's a lot I'm sure you don't remember."

"And that is a good thing," Cath said, closely watching Steve. She had made him promise that when it got to be too much, she could clear the room. And she wouldn't hesitate to do so. She could tell the noise was getting to him.

"Hey, Boss, you got a nice card from the governor."

"Cool, Kono. Uh, what did he say about all this?"

"We've kept him in the loop," Chin assured his boss. "Don't worry, we're good."

Steve nodded. "Good. Thanks for having my back." He turned toward the door when it opened. "Hey, Nahele, get over here."

The young man grinned and moved to Steve's bedside, a look of relief on his face at seeing his friend sitting up and smiling. Steve held up his fist and bumped with the teen. "You OK?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm good," Nahele replied. "How about you?"

"I'm fine," Steve replied. "A bit sore," he added, "but good."

"That's good to hear. I'm glad," he smiled, then added, "You scared me."

"Kind of scared myself, too," Steve revealed in a quiet voice. "Thanks for coming to see me – you know, before the surgery."

"Yeah," Nahele said, ducking his head.

"Hey, McGarrett," Kamekona called out, stopping at the bottom of the bed. "When you popping this joint?"

Steve shook his head. "Hopefully in a couple of days," he said, glancing at Catherine who rolled her eyes and smiled at him.

"Then tomorrow night, I will provide you a culinary treat," Kamekona promised. "Your favorite - shrimp tacos."

Cath was seated on the side of the bed and felt the slight shudder run through Steve's body. "Hey, Kame, how about we wait until Steve is at home? I'm sure he would enjoy them much better then."

"Then it's a date just for the two of you. You let me know when. And now, me and my cuz need to head out. It's karaoke night at The Big Kahuna and our reputation is on the line. You take care of yourself." He reached out to give Steve a fist bump while Flippa gave him a shaka sign before heading toward the door.

"Hey, before you go…" Steve turned to Catherine. "Get everybody's attention, could you?"

"Sure. Hey, guys, listen up. Steve has something to say."

The room quickly became silent and all eyes turned toward Steve. He smiled and looked at each of them. "I just wanted to say thanks for standing by me this past couple of weeks. Even the nurses commented on how many people stayed in the waiting room waiting to find out if I was gonna croak or not—"

Catherine slapped him on his uninjured arm when everyone laughed. "Stop that! It isn't funny."

Steve smiled at her, then added, "No, it's not funny, but I honestly think I'm still here because of all your good vibes. Mahalo, everyone." He stopped and then added, "But if you don't mind, I'm gonna take a nap, so you can leave at any time."

"Helluva way to shut down a party, McGarrett," Grover said with a wide smile. "It's good to see you acting more like your old, ornery self."

"It's good to feel like myself," Steve replied while waving at Jerry and Max who were ready to leave. "Thanks, guys."

Nahele moved closer to the bed. "Is there, uh, anything I can do?"

"No, I'm good," Steve assured him, then hesitated, realizing that it might help the young man if he knew he was needed. "Hey, I might need some help after I get home. Is it OK to give you a call?"

Nahele smiled at his friend. "Absolutely. Call me anytime. See you!"

When he left the room, Catherine leaned down and whispered, "That was very sweet."

Steve gave her an innocent look. "What?" he asked. "I could use his help."

"I know and it will do him good. I heard how he felt responsible for all this since he came to you about his friend."

"None of this was his fault," Steve quickly replied.

"We all know that," Chin said, "but I don't think he believes it."

Steve glanced around and everyone had left except Chin, Kono and Lou. "Seriously, guys, thanks for everything. I've heard people talking and they can't believe how many people have been here. It means a lot."

"Maybe because you're worth it," Kono said, reaching out to grab Steve's hand. "Take care of yourself, Boss. I'll check on you tomorrow. Cath, let me know if either of you need anything."

"Will do, Kono, and thanks." Catherine was thankful that most people seemed genuinely happy to see her back in Hawaii.

Lou pointed at Steve, then reached out to shake his hand. "You're still my man, brother. Although you scared the bejeebies outta me. Don't do that again."

"Thanks… I think. Hey, stay outta my beer!"

"Oh, there's beer?" he asked with a chuckle. "Guess I better run by and make sure your house is locked up tight."

"Get out of here," Steve said, shaking the captain's hand.

Chin held up his hand and waved. "Aloha. We'll check in with you tomorrow. Cath, if you need any of us, just call."

"Of course. Bye, guys." She watched the two friends leave and then turned back to Steve, who had already closed his eyes. She could read the exhaustion on his pale face. "Could you have possibly overdone it a bit?" she asked, lightly running her fingers across his brow.

Steve smiled. "Nah, it was good to see everyone. I'm just kinda…"

"Tired?" she supplied for him.

He opened his eyes and gave her a lopsided smile. "Yeah, that." He toggled the button on the control and lowered the head of the bed, wincing as he did so.

"You OK?" she asked. "Need a nurse?"

"No," he replied, reaching for her hand. "Just sore," he admitted, rubbing his thumb across her fingers. "So," he began, staring at the ceiling rather than look at her. "We haven't discussed it, but I guess now's the time. When are you shipping out?"

Catherine was silently watching his interest in the ceiling tiles. "Well, I, ah, you see, the day after I arrived back here, I sort of resigned. Gave my notice."

Steve's breath hitched and he turned his head to look at her. "Right after you arrived? I thought they didn't know then if I was even gonna make it."

She slowly shook her head. "They didn't. But…" she paused and it was her turn to look away as her eyes filled with tears. "When I saw you lying there, I realized… you had to get well. Because I wanted… suddenly I couldn't imagine not spending the rest of my life with you. All the running I did, the job, none of it made any sense. I knew I belonged here."

She hesitated, still not looking at him. "Because my life wouldn't be worth much if you weren't in it." She glanced back at him, gauging his reaction before looking down at their clasped hands. "So, I decided right then to resign. Now, the real question is this… 'Do you even want me here?' I didn't really take that into consideration when I quit. We haven't really worked through all our issues… yet."

He was silent for so long that she was afraid his answer wasn't what she wanted. But finally, he squeezed her hand tighter. "Hey, look at me."

She raised her head to look into his eyes.

"Don't ever doubt that I want you here. Here is where I think you belong. But you need to be sure. You need to commit. We both do. I want you right here next to me. Always. But I need to be sure this is what _**you**_ really want. Got it? Can you do that?" Steve replied. "I would like to work this out, to give us a real chance. If that is what you also wants."

One tear escaped and she quickly wiped it away. "Yeah, I got it and yes, I'm absolutely sure."

He grinned. "Then come here," he ordered, pulling her hand closer. "Kiss me."

"Is that an order, Commander?" she asked, smiling through her tears.

"Sounded like one, didn't it?" Steve replied with a grin

She leaned down, threading her fingers through his hair, touching her lips to his, lightly at first, then more passionately when he circled his arm around her neck, to hold her closer.

"I'm gonna hurt you," she mumbled against his lips.

"No way," he whispered back, not willing to let her escape. "And if you did, it would be worth it."

They continued their make out session until someone cleared her throat and Cath pulled back. "Oh!"

Adina was standing near the bed grinning at them. "You do realize that we are still monitoring your blood pressure, right? I became concerned when it just skyrocketed. I'm happy to know that the reason isn't a medical one. But just as a precaution, take it easy on him," she told Cath with a wink.

Catherine stood up, but Steve didn't let go of her hand. "I'm fine," he assured the nurse. "In fact," he glanced at Cath, "I'm better than fine."

The nurse smiled. "I would say 'Get a room', but it appears you already have one. Just pace yourself and let me know if you need anything," she replied, reaching for the door. "I'll be back in half an hour to check your vitals. The clock is ticking. And…" she added, "Glad to know you're feeling better!" With another smile, she closed the door and left them alone.

"Now, where were we?" Steve asked.

"Steve, no, you're blood pressure—"

"Is fine. Get back down here."

"We can't—"

He pulled her hand toward him and kissed the inside of her wrist. "You know you want to," he whispered.

"Yes, of course, but—"

His lips trailed up her arm while he pulled her closer.

She finally gave up the pretense and lowered her forehead to his. "I've missed you so much," she whispered.

"Welcome home," he whispered back. "Now kiss me again."

 ** _H50 – H50 – H50_**


End file.
